What Are Your Aquatic Plant Control Options?
There is not much people like more than a little plant killing, particularly in their backyard pond, or in some cases the fishpond where it’d make major issues for both the fish, and for you. Fish do not like moving through a massive forest any more than the rest of us, therefore it’s a good idea to control those plants at the bottom of your pond, before some of them develops into the man-eating plant from Jumanji.
An excess of aquatic plants can create problems all the way from watercraft motors being clogged, to bad results while fishing, to kids having a horrible time attempting to swim through the pond. None of these are things you want, therefore it is better to eradicate the root of the issue before it starts.
You have a couple options at your disposal, options that range from biological control, which is to say the use of fish that simply govern the plant populous, to lining your whole pond with plastic…that seems a rather drastic step, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
So let’s go over a few of the choices, and then you can choose the one that is best for your situation, just keep in mind that the following are just a very few choices, and you should consult with different pond owners, or professionals to learn about each and every method at your disposal.
Harvesting – Getting rid of the plants manually, is definitely a good choice. Of course, if this plant is not on the shoreline, or isn’t|is not sitting on the top of the pond, you may discover yourself investing in some diving equipment to swim down there without suffocating. If you do not have knowledge of the dynamics of diving, or just cannot hold your breath for an incredibly long time, it is encouraged for you to consult the professionals. Believe it or not, there’s companies that specialize in cleaning the bottom of bodies of water, so you will be in pretty good hands in that regard.
Chemicals – There are a lot of chemicals at your disposal to get rid of this annoying plant life. A few of these chemicals are Fluridone,2,4-D, Glyphosate, Diquat, Endothall. Of course, it’s never suggested that you utilize any sort of herbicide or chemical to eradicate plant life, which is not unlike the reason it’s not recommended you throw an electrical current into a pond to catch your prize fish. Using chemicals may be detrimental for fish, in addition to any other life forms which you might have in your pond. Use such things with care, or better yet, do not use them at all unless you have no other choice.
Dye – You can purchase a wide range of chemicals which will color the water, and thereby reduce the amount of sun for any aquatic plant life. It’s best to do this in the early spring for a better turnout.
Lining – Lining the bottom of your body of water with a type of plastic is also an option, as that would stunt the growth of any sort of aquatic plant life. Don’t forget that it may become expensive, therefore consider the size of the pond, as well as the amount of plastic you’ll require. Naturally this is a viable option for small fish ponds, though maybe not so much for a whole lake in your yard.
Keep in mind that there are tons of ways to halt plant life from infiltrating the pond, and to discover the method which is right for you, consult a professional or talk to a number of other pond owners.